The Sacramento Kings signed forward Brian Grant Sunday, leaving three NBA first-round draft picks unsigned.
With the signing of Grant, the eighth overall pick, No. 1 pick Glenn Robinson of Milwaukee, No. 5 Juwan Howard of Washington and No. 11 Carlos Rogers of Tennessee State are the only remaining unsigned first-round selections.The Kings did not disclose terms of the contract, but The Sacramento Bee said Sunday that Grant, who played at Xavier, Ohio, was signing a 13-year, $29.33 million pact. The newspaper said the final season's salary of $3.7 million would not be guaranteed until Grant remains in the league a seventh season.
Kings officials said Grant was expected to be in uniform for the final preseason game Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors.
"It will take Brian a little time to get adjusted to the level of competition in the NBA," coach Garry St. Jean said. "His running and jumping abilities along with his strong skills on both sides of the ball indicate that he will be a strong player in this league for many years to come."
The 6-foot-9, 254-pound power forward was Xavier's sixth-leading scorer with 1,719 points, third rebounder with 1,080 and second career shotblocker with 127. He was named all-tournament at the 1994 Phoenix Desert Classic, leading NBA prospects with 14 rebounds per game.
"We feel Brian's athleticism and basketball skills will make him an instant contributor on our frontline," Kings vice president Geoff Petrie said.
The Kings, Grant and his agent were engaged in prolonged contract negotiations, with Grant at one point entertaining an offer to play in Greece.
The Kings' 1993 top draft pick, Bobby Hurley from Duke, started right away, but was severely injured in an auto accident after just 19 games. He has been playing in the team's first preseason games.